Case Studies

Abstract

This case study is concerned primarily with the design and development of an automatic transmission system by the Automotive Products Group Ltd. Attempts to provide automatic transmission systems had been made for many years with varying degrees of success. The American motoring public had reacted well to the opportunities offered by automatic transmissions and by as early as 1950 such units formed a major segment of the American transmission system market. The European car market posed different problems for the transmission industry and provided a less receptive market for automatic transmission systems. The failure of semi-automatic transmission systems to gain public acceptance stimulated Automotive Products Ltd (A.P.) to embark on the development of a fully auto-matic transmission system. Such a system would not only provide a new product for the specialised com-pany but would also consolidate its commanding po-sition with respect to the supply of clutch units in Britain.

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